Before the Gangnam craze began, I was already exposed to Koreans and its culture. I had a Korean classmate and playmate during my kiddie years. During then, we often go to his place after we play soccer and Tamiya race cars. Tired and sweaty from the games we play, we go straight to the dining table of my Korean friend’s place and eat a scrumptious Korean meal. I didn’t know what were the dishes served to us. What I remember is that they were all foreign and yummy to me. Not Filipino nor Western at all. I wasn’t aware that I was already introduced to classic Korean dishes since I was in elementary.

Now, the typical choice of dinner for me never falls to a Korean restaurant. I would rather go to a Japanese sushi place or an Italian restaurant. Just weeks ago, the chance of being invited to this new Korean restaurant at the Fort area allowed me to bring back the elementary memories of what I used to eat at my Korean friend’s dining table. My visit to Sariwon Korean BBQ revived the memories of food I eat after playing Tamiya cars and Pokemon cards with my Korean friend.

Sariwon’s Galbi (Php 545) – Juicy and premium USDA Choice beef short ribs served raw on the table. Since every table has their own grill, we could either grill the Galbi meat on our own or allow the waiters to do it for us. We didn’t want to risk our food on our own hands so we allowed Sariwon’s waiter to do the job for us. While waiting for the meat to cook, the side dishes may distract you and let you munch on them. That’s what I like about Korean restaurants by the way, the appetizers that give you varieties of flavors!

 I eat Galbi by wrapping the meat in lettuce and adding Samjang sauce in it. I love how sweet and spicy the sauce can be. It just grabbed my attention and made it my favorite Korean dish. Isn’t it very Gangnam a.k.a. Sosyal?

 Dolsot Bibimbap (P 380) – In a hot stone pot, expect to be served bowl of steaming rice, sauteed vegetables, egg and Korean chili paste all mixed together to create a delicious and healthy mixed rice bowl. Better than Japanese fried rice if you ask me.

 Sariwon Bulgogi (Php 545 / 150g) – Marinated thin slices of USDA Choice Beef grilled at the table accompanied with sweet potato noodles on the sides.

 Sariwon Bulgogi doesn’t need to be served marinated since it is served with Sariwon’s signature sauce. Sariwon sauce is made up of 12 different fruits and vegetables – pineapples, pears, apples, onions, celery with red wine. Take note, no sugar used. According to Sariwon, this sauce was by Mrs. Koo for her diabetic husband.

 Watching our own food to be cooked in front of us made our dinner more interesting. It’s an attraction Korean restaurants like Sariwon creates to make families and friends dine in and cook together.

 Japchae (Php 350) – My childhood made me think Japchae is Korean pancit. This is what I used to eat after our playtime with my Korean friend. My friend’s mom serves us a big plate of Japchae, an authentic kind. I didn’t appreciate it before since I thought it was easy to get as Filipino’s pancit. Sariwon’s Japchae brought back my childhood memories. It’s just like what I used to have before. Appetizing that I wanted to have it as merienda in the office.

 Haemul Pajeon (Php 350) – The look of a pizza with vegetables and seafood on top. Crunchy and oily at the same time.

 Sangria Soju (Php 195) – I don’t advise kids to try this. It has a strong alcohol taste that blends well. I like the blend of apple, orange, lemon and red wine, partnered as you eat Sariwon’s Galbi or Bulgogi.

 Fresh Kiwi Shake (Php 160) – To refresh my tongue after getting a taste of that spicy Kimchi on the side, a tall glass of Kiwi shake must take the place.

 Sikhye (Php 60) – Don’t mind the price, a glass of Sikhye is complimentary. Koreans take a glass of this traditional sweet drink of malt and rice. You will be charged Php60 if you order another glass of Sikhye. So I guess I’ll stick to one glass instead. Hehe.

 Melona Ice Cream – Talk about famous Korean ice cream. Well, they have our favorite Melona here!

 The clean and modern ambiance of Sariwon has no big difference with other modern restaurants. Or maybe the tables make it different because of the grill and hot pot in every table.

Let the fun of cooking Gangnam Korean style at Sariwon Korean Barbecue! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think of it. 🙂

Cheers,

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Location: 7th Ave. cor 29th St. South, Upper Ground Floor, West Superblock, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines

Contact: (+63) 922 535-2446

Budget: PHP450++

Rate: 8.5/10